Improvement in car-starters



NITED STATES IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-STARTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 143,337, dated October21, 1873; application tiled May 31, 1873.

To all whom .it may concern:

Beit known that I, BENJAMIN F. OAKEs, of Milford, in the county ofPenobscot and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Machine for 'Pushing or Drawing Railroad Cars, of which the followingis a specification:

The object of this invention is to'providef means for movingrailroad-cars by hand and by one-man power; and it consists in a T-shaped lever and two bars pivoted thereto, and in a clamp or gripeattached to the end of each bar, and in a connecting-block or itsequivalent, pivotedy to the center of the lever, the construction andmanner of operation being hereinafter more fully set forth anddescribed.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a top or plan view.:Fig. 2 is an edge view. Fig. 3 is a view of one of the clamps, which arepivoted on the ends of the bars.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre` sponding parts.

This machine is placed on the rails of the track, and the lever isworked horizontally.

A A- represent the rails of a railroad-track. Bis the T-shaped lever,having attached at the center of the cross a block or chair, G, forconnecting the lever with the draw-head of the car. D D are bars, whichare pivoted to the ends of the cross of the lever. E E are holes, bymeans of which the bars may be pivoted nearer the center and theleverage increased. F F are the clamps or gripes attached to the ends ofthe bars by mortises and I pins, as seen in Fig. l. G represents themori tises in the clamps. H is a recess or gain in the underside oftheclamp, a little broader than the tread of the rail.

When the lever is vibrated horizontally, one of the clamps F will catchand gripe the rail, and the other will be loosened. The clamp and barsmay be changed so that the latter will work upon the other side of therails. The car may, therefore, be pushed or pulled and moved in eitherdirection. The leveris worked horizontally in either case. rEheconnecting-block G may be in any forni,and be connected with the leverin any manner so as to allow it to be conveniently attached to thedraw-head. A chain may be used, if desired.

lith this machine, one man may move a car without difficulty, and therapidity of the movement will depend upon the extent and rapidity of themovement of the lever.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentrlhe lever B, having a head adapted to be pivoteddirectly or indirectly to the draw-head of a car at its middle, andprovided at each 'end with an arm, D, having a gripe, F G H,

so that the lever may be vibrated horizontally to each clamp-arm, actingalternately to hold the rail and give purchase to the operator, as setforth.

BENJAMIN F. OAKES.

Witnesses:

Gnonen W. Bnowiv, J iis. H. Pinnen.

Frron.

